Othello+Act+3

Act 3 Othello:
Desdemona decides that she wants to advocate for Cassio. She tells Emilia so, and that she believes Cassio is a good person, and has been wronged in this case; she pledges to do everything she can to persuade her husband to take Cassio back. Cassio speaks with her briefly, but leaves just as Othello enters because he does not wish for a confrontation. Iago seizes on this opportunity to play on Othello's insecurities, and make Cassio's exit seem guilty and incriminating.

Desdemona drops the handkerchief that Othello gave her on their honeymoon; Emilia knew that her husband had wanted it for something, so she doesn't feel too guilty about taking it. Emilia gives it to Iago, who decides to use the handkerchief for his own devices. Othello re-enters, and tells Iago that he now doubts his wife. Iago knows how important this handkerchief is to Othello; it was his first gift to Desdemona, and was given to him by his mother. Othello is incensed to hear that Desdemona would give away something so valuable, and is persuaded by Iago's insinuations and claims to believe that Desdemona is guilty. Othello then swears to have Cassio dead, and to be revenged upon Desdemona for the non-existent affair.

Othello enters, and asks for Desdemona's handkerchief; she admits that she does not have it, and then Othello tells her of its significance and alleged magical powers. Desdemona does not like Othello's tone; he seems obsessed with this object, and Desdemona is so frightened by him that she wishes she had nothing to do with it. She interrupts Othello's inquiry by bringing up Cassio's attempt to get back into Othello's favor; Othello becomes angry, and storms out. Desdemona and Emilia both note that Othello is much changed; he is unkind and seems jealous, and they are suspicious of the change in him.

__**Act 3 Scene 1**__
 * In what way does Iago promise to assist Cassio?
 * What does Cassio believe Iago's motivation for helping him is?
 * What do we learn about Emilia's relationship to Othello and Desdemona from this act?

__**Act 3 Scene 2**__
 * What do we learn from this scene about Othello as a military leader?
 * What is do we learn about Iago's relationship to Othello in this scene?
 * Given that this scene is extremely short, how would the play be affected if it were excluded?

__**Act 3 Scene 3**__
 * Identify two or more instances in this section of act 3 (pg 97-109) when Iago sows the seeds of doubt about Desdemona's fidelity in Othello's mind. Why do you think he was successful in doing so?
 * Iago is not forthcoming in revealing his thoughts. What effect does this have on Othello?
 * Iago provides Othello with an example of Desdemona's capability for decietfulness. What is it?
 * "I am bound to you forever" (line 215 pg 111). In what way may this be an example of foreshadowing for later events?
 * On page 113 and 114 both Iago and Othello comment on Othello and Desdemona's interacial marriage. Why might this be potentially problematic, and would these problems still arise if the play was set in modern times?
 * What problems do you think will arise as a result of the lost handkerchief?
 * If you were in Emilia's position, would you give the handkerchief to Iago? Explain your reasoning.
 * Find two lines of Othello's which could be paraphrased as 'ignorace is bliss'.(pg 121)
 * Othello demands "occular proof" from Iago (pg 121). Failing this, Iago will answer Othello's "waked wrath". Write down how you imagine Iago feels after he has been threatened in this way.
 * Iago manages to talk his way out of a situation that could doom all his plans to failure. How does he do this?

__**Act 3 Scene 4**__
 * Why do you you think Emilia did not tell Desdemona what she did with the missing handkerchief?
 * How do you think the scene would play out if Desdemona admitted what she knows about the handkerchief? Consider the possible actions and reations of each of the three characters present in this part of the scene.
 * What do we learn about Emilia's attitude towards men?
 * What excuse does Desdemona make on Othello's behalf? What does this tell us about her nature?
 * What does Cassio give Bianca?
 * What do you think Bianca's relationship to Cassio is?

__**Lesson Outline for Scene Three**__

Before beginning to read scene three, briefly review the details of act two. Pay attention to character development and plot details so that all students are up to date and at the same point. This can be done verbally by reviewing the notes generated in the previous lessons.

Briefly summarise the main plot points at the start of each scene. The scene can then be read or viewed in a variety of ways Most scenes can be read through completely without the need for stopping points. The exception to this is scene 3. In this case I have included the page numbers which correspond to the question. This allows for suitable stopping points to be chosen. In addittion, not all questions would be answered in the classroom. They can be used to supply a reading purpose for reading at home.
 * watch the scene from the movie, followed by reading the text or vice versa
 * teacher reads to the class
 * shared pair reading
 * shared group reading